Chapter 44: A Sixty-Forty Split

Zhao Yi looked at Liu Ruyan. There was a resilient drive in this woman, like a bamboo stalk that had been bent under heavy pressure, ready to spring back at any moment. He admired that greatly.

"Let me lay my cards on the table for you," Zhao Yi said, crossing his legs and tapping his fingers on the table.

"This Abode of the Immortals will henceforth be our treasury, our cash cow."

"Selling wine is just the first step. In the future, glassware, mirrors, perfume, soap... whatever is missing in Luoyang, whatever those wealthy fools are willing to pay for, that is what we will sell!"

He paused, watching Liu Ruyan's eyes grow increasingly bright.

"Your task is not merely to act as a manager, greeting guests at the door."

"I want you to forge this Abode of the Immortals into a brand! A symbol of status!"

"I want the nobles, the aristocrats, and the wealthiest merchants to consider it an honor to patronize the Abode of the Immortals! To proudly boast about acquiring our goods as a status symbol!"

Liu Ruyan's heart surged with excitement. Though she did not understand many of the terms he used, she could feel the immense potential hidden behind them.

"My lord, I..."

"You don't need to say anything," Zhao Yi interrupted, waving his hand. "You aren't working for me; you're making money for yourself."

"From now on, you have absolute authority over all matters within this establishment. Everyone will cooperate with you."

He stood up, walked over to Liu Ruyan, and lowered his voice.

"Remember, we are not selling goods."

"We are selling desire, prestige, and uniqueness."

Liu Ruyan's body trembled slightly. She raised her head, her captivating face now illuminated with an unprecedented radiance.

"Ruyan will certainly not fail your trust, my lord!"

...

Emerging from the Abode of the Immortals, a heavy stone finally lifted from Zhao Yi's heart.

Humming a little tune, he strolled leisurely back home.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he was hit by a strong wave of alcohol.

There he saw his father, Zhao Zhao, sprawled across the stone bench in the courtyard like a dead pig, fast asleep with a glistening string of saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Not far away, his grandfather, Patriarch Zhao Xiao, sat by the stone table, enjoying his drink all by himself, his weathered face flushed red.

"Grandfather, what are you..." Zhao Yi approached them.

Upon seeing him, the old patriarch's eyes lit up, and he quickly beckoned him over.

"My good grandson, come here! Come and share a few cups with your grandfather!"

He pointed to a jar of wine on the table bearing the label "Drunken Mortal," looking utterly pleased with himself.

"Your father actually showed some filial piety for once today!"

"See this? Your father said he spent a full hundred taels of silver specifically to buy this to honor me! Damn it, this wine packs a real punch!"

The old patriarch took a gulp and exhaled a fragrant breath of alcohol.

"It tastes even better than the wine I've kept hidden for twenty years!"

Looking at his father's unconscious state and then at his grandfather's touched expression, Zhao Yi nearly laughed out loud.

One hundred taels? That old man really knew how to brag!

"Grandfather, this wine... is indeed quite good," Zhao Yi said, holding back his laughter.

"Of course!" The old patriarch slapped his thigh. "Bought with one hundred taels of silver, how could it be bad?!"

Zhao Yi finally couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Grandfather, let me tell you the truth," he whispered into the old patriarch's ear.

"This wine is actually the cheapest one in the Abode of the Immortals, ten taels of silver per jar."

"My father... probably pocketed the remaining ninety taels himself."

The smile on the old patriarch's face instantly froze.

He blinked, and blinked again.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I'll get you some of their finest 'Nectar of the Immortals' next time—the kind that costs a thousand taels per catty. That's what real wine tastes like," Zhao Yi said with a sincere expression.

The courtyard fell into a chilling silence.

A few seconds later.

"Damn it!"

The old patriarch abruptly stood up, his flushed face instantly turning the color of pork liver.

He snatched up a broom from the corner of the wall, trembling with rage.

"That damn bastard!"

"I'm going to break his legs today!"

Wielding the broom, he charged straight toward the deeply slumbering Zhao Zhao.

Zhao Yi hurriedly rushed forward to stop him.

"Grandfather! Grandfather! Calm down! Calm down!"

"He's already this drunk, hitting him won't even hurt! Wait until he wakes up tomorrow, then you can hang him up and flog him!"

The old patriarch thought about it and decided that made sense.

He slammed the broom down fiercely, pointed at Zhao Zhao's nose to curse him for a long while, and was finally coaxed and helped back into his room to rest by Zhao Yi.

...

Early the next morning.

Zhao Yi arrived at the Ministry of Works feeling refreshed and in high spirits.

As soon as Minister of Works Sun Decai saw him, he became overwhelmingly enthusiastic, treating him as if he were his own father.

"Oh! Lord Zhao! You're finally here!"

"Quick, quick, please take the seat of honor!"

Sun Decai was extremely perceptive now; this young lord was a favored confidant right in front of the Empress and was not someone to be trifled with.

He attended to his every need, asking about his well-being and providing whatever was requested.

"My lord, just tell me if there is anything old Sun can do for you, and consider it done!"

Zhao Yi took a sip of tea and slowly said, "Minister Sun is too polite. Her Majesty has ordered me to oversee the production of cement, and this matter will require your full support, elder."

"Easily done! Easily done!" Sun Decai patted his chest. "Men, you shall have men! Land, you shall have land!"

Then his tone shifted, and a troubled expression squeezed onto his face.

"It's just that for funds... our Ministry of Works truly has no money."

Zhao Yi curled his lips in disdain; he knew it would come to this.

Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, Eunuch Gui walked in with a shrill voice.

"Lord Zhao, Her Majesty summons you to the imperial palace for an audience."

Zhao Yi's heart skipped a beat. Was that stinking woman coming to settle accounts now?

...

The Imperial Study.

The Empress was not in her bedchambers today; she had changed into her dragon robe and was seated behind the desk reviewing memorials.

Her breathtaking face bore not a shred of laziness, only the supreme dignity of a monarch.

She has a fine figure.

A damn fine figure indeed.

Zhao Yi muttered inwardly as he bowed in salute.

"Your subject, Zhao Yi, pays respects to Her Majesty."

"Rise."

The Empress put down her vermilion brush and raised her head.

"The Abode of the Immortals, I have heard about it."

She spoke indifferently.

"Dragon Saliva Brew, Jasper Dew, Nectar of the Immortals."

"Lord Zhao really knows how to do business."

Hearing this, Zhao Yi felt his legs turn to jelly.

He dropped straight to his knees with a thud, and tears immediately began to stream down his face.

"Your Majesty!"

He wailed with heart-wrenching grief.

"Your subject... your subject did all this for Your Majesty, and for our Great Zhou!"

"With the imperial treasury empty, I saw it in my eyes and felt it in my heart! I wished I could sell off my family property just to relieve Your Majesty's worries!"

"This Abode of the Immortals is the treasury I prepared specifically for Your Majesty!"

As he cried, he wiped his tears with his sleeve, demonstrating the utmost sincerity.

The Empress simply watched his performance quietly without a word.

When his crying subsided somewhat, she suddenly stood up.

The dragon patterns embroidered with gold thread shifted under the light with her movement.

She walked around the desk, stepping right up to Zhao Yi. Her high-heeled dragon boots clicked crisply against the golden bricks, each step sounding as though it landed on the tip of Zhao Yi's heart.

A faint, subtle fragrance drifted into his nostrils.

The Empress slowly leaned down, bringing her breathtakingly gorgeous face right in front of Zhao Yi's eyes.

Her voice dropped extremely low, carrying a hint of indescribable allure.

"Since it's a treasury prepared for me..."

"Shouldn't this treasury also be handed over into my hands?"

Boom!

Zhao Yi's mind went blank.

Damn it!

This stinking woman is seducing me!

He could even clearly see her long, curled eyelashes and his own tear-stained, foolish face reflected in her phoenix eyes.

He had originally intended to split the profits, but with her pulling this stunt, he suddenly felt like he had just lost a hundred million!

"Your subject... your subject is willing to hand over the Abode of the Immortals..."

Before he could finish his sentence.

"Shh..."

"Seven for me, three for you."

Her voice was soft, yet filled with undeniable dominance.

Zhao Yi's wailing stopped abruptly.

He abruptly raised his head, tear droplets still clinging to his face.

"Your Majesty! Three parts is far too little!"

He scrambled forward on his knees and hugged the Empress's thigh, starting to howl again.

"Your Majesty, you cannot do this! Your subject still has a group of Shadow Guards to feed under my command! They are all risking their lives for you!"

"Your subject also needs to research new ultimate weapons! Those things don't burn firewood; they burn pure silver!"

"Without money, how can I help Your Majesty expand territories, and how can we let the iron cavalry of Great Zhou trample the four directions?"

The Empress felt a headache coming on from his noise.

She looked down at the scoundrel hugging her thigh, covered in snot and tears.

"Let go!"

"I won't! If you don't agree, your subject will die right here!"

The Empress was so exasperated she almost laughed.

Having lived for so many years, this was the first time she had ever laid eyes on such a shameless scoundrel.

"Enough."

She eventually compromised.

"Six for me, four for you. Not a single fraction more."

"Otherwise, you can just move into the palace and become my personal imperial bodyguard."

Zhao Yi instantly let go, scrambled to his feet, wiped away his tears, and plastered a wide smile across his face.

"Many thanks, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise and brilliant!"

The Empress rolled her eyes at him and picked up an already drafted imperial edict from the desk.

"Starting from today, you shall be the Commander of the Great Zhou Shadow Guards, and your rank is elevated from Senior Fourth Rank to Senior Third Rank."

"You shall report directly to me."

"Keep this confidential for now; when the imperial court is stabilized, I will make it known to the entire realm."

This stinking woman, beating someone with a stick and then handing them a sweet date—she plays this game really well!

Not only did she give money and power, she might as well give herself to me too!

"Your subject... kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's heavenly grace!"